The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Visit FDOT’s website, is conducting Alternative Corridor Evaluation study to evaluate the extension of State Road (SR) 56 from US Highway (US) 301/SR 41 to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 in Pasco County, Florida. The intent is to find a suitable corridor for the potential extension of the existing SR 54/SR 56 facility, which currently stretches from US 19 to the intersection with US 301/SR 41.
If advanced to the next step, this potential extension could create a continuous east–west route across southern Pasco County into the Lakeland area of Polk County, while also providing regional traffic an option to bypass the City of Zephyrhills.
The goals this study are to identify and evaluate alternative corridors, eliminate alternative corridors that do not meet the project’s purpose and need or that have disproportionate and/or significant impacts to the surrounding environment, and to recommend a reasonable alternative corridor(s) for further study in the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) phase. The FDOT District Seven initiated the ACE Study for the proposed extension of SR 56 from US 301/SR 41 to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 in June 2019.
The study area is generally bounded by just south of the Pasco/Hillsborough County Line on the south, CR 54 on the north, US 301/SR 41 on the west and US 98/SR 35/SR 700 on the east.
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Project Purpose and Need
Purpose:
The purpose of the project is to provide the extension of an east-west route through Pasco County connecting to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 that would allow regional traffic to bypass the City of Zephyrhills.
Need:
System Linkage
SR 54/56 is a principal arterial that spans a large portion of Pasco County providing an important east-west route. In addition to SR 52, it is one of only two continuous east-west connections within the County. It also links to important regional north-south facilities such as US 19, SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway), US 41, and I-75. It connects to US 19 in western Pasco County, just south of New Port Richey, and to US 301/SR 41 south of the City of Zephyrhills. The Pasco County MPO is completing an initiative called Vision 54/56 which is a study designed to define a transportation vision for the future of the SR 54/56 corridor from US 19 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. This project will provide a direct connection to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 and create a needed regional east-west facility in Pasco County.